Home and flower gardens reflect the kind of care family get

Too often we underestimate the importance of design, reducing it to colors and patterns, pretty pictures and fantasy homes. But there’s more to it; and every so often we get reminded of the other side of things. The part where beautiful interiors become homes for real people. Where the right colors can change someone’s day, and where patterns can represent the heritage and history of the people who live there.

Jodi Querbach lives in the Bedford-Styuvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, along with her husband Kemis and their five children. Their historic, 19th century brownstone was selected for a redesign by LOWE’S as part of their fall makeover program. The home was designed by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason of AphroChic with furniture from LOWE’S.

To create the perfect backdrop the designers repainted the entire space in a special shade of gray with hints of lilac. As sunlight moves through the room throughout the day the wall color changes slightly from gray to purple, and even a slight shade of blue. The neutral tone creates a cool and calm interior that readily displays the colorful highlights placed throughout the room.

The living room plan is open yet cozy, designed for time with a large family. A

In some corners of the decorating world “modern” is considered a dirty word. There’s a belief that modern rooms are cold and lack personality. But nothing could be further from the truth. Modern living rooms can be warm, inviting, and sometimes even downright cozy. While modern living rooms may lack some of the frills of their more embellished counterparts, they make up for it in their sleek sense of style.

What’s not to love about a room with comfortable furniture, a soothing palette, and a take notice focal point? This modern living room from Raven Inside Interior Designhas them all. The sleek lines and no-frills approach to decorating is both modern and minimal, yet there’s nothing cold or impersonal about it. The warm finishes and soft furnishings make this a great room for spending a cozy night in.

Who says modern can’t be fun? Cleary not the team from Michelle Lewis Interior Design, the masterminds behind this room. Abstract art, a unique light fixture, and an array of colors and finishes come together to create a space that looks great and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

What many people don’t appreciated about modern design is how easily it can be combined with other styles. This room for instance

There are some interiors that push the envelope. Some that go beyond the typical homes you see while idly spending time on Pinterest. And this home by interior designer Abbe Fenimore of Studio Ten 25, definitely pushes the envelope in some truly exciting ways. Fenimore, who is based in Dallas, is recognized as one of the city’s top designers. So, it is no surprise that she is the designer behind this Dallas dream home where color, pattern, and a sophisticated mix of the two truly shines.

No stone was left unturned in the design of this two-bedroom home. Stepping into each room, you can see that Fenimore thought about each and every detail that would contribute to her bold vision for the interior. In the home’s guest bedroom, Kelly Wearstler’s Channels Wallpaper makes quite an impression. The backdrop creates a striking statement wall, where Wearstler’s edgy brush strokes are featured.

To keep things cozy in the guest bedroom, a reading nook was designed. For seating, Fenimore went with custom upholstery. An oversized foliage print is extremely modern and the shade

Can’t afford a beach vacation this year? Don’t worry. With easy breezy beach style decorating you can get all the ambiance of a day at the beach without setting foot outside the house. And the best news of all? It’s an easy and versatile style that can be modified to suit any style of home.

A sandy color palette with touches of blue is perfectly reminiscent of the sea and surf in this home by Butler Armsden Architects. To make the most of this type of palette try to stick with an open layout and limit the use of furniture and accessories. The idea here is to create an open, airy atmosphere, similar to what’s happening just outside.

A basic beach house living room is easy to achieve if you use the right combination of color and materials, like designer Sabrina Alfin did here. Soft blue paint, sand and stone colored fabrics and driftwood accents combine seamlessly to make an afternoon in this living room feel like a day at the beach.

One of the best ways to get a beachy or coastal look is with shiplap, as seen here in this living room courtesy of Indian River Furniture. While some liken

Looking for some simple, inexpensive DIY decorating projects to try? Let the inspiration juices flow with this roundup of easy DIY projects.

This rag rug can be customized to meet the decor of any room, and it is easy enough for kids to join in on the DIY decorating fun.

If you want to remodel your home in the style of mid-century modern (MCM), incorporating the following elements will take you a long way towards your goal.

The quintessential MCM-style living room from the early to mid-Sixties period would have included some of these things:

Vaulted Ceiling With Exposed Beams

The prototypical MCM low-vaulted ceiling had exposed natural wood beams. For the mid-century Jet Agers, a feeling of openness–of soaring to the sky–was always emphasized.

Wood Panel Accent Wall

The accent wall in the center of the room is paneled in dark, rich walnut. For your home, you’ll want to panel sections of the room, not the entire room. And go for real veneer wood panels rather than cheap panels.

Simply put, you cannot duplicate the look of these walls on your own; you need help. And help is on the way in the form of textured 3D wall panels, an innovation that most homeowners don’t know about.

Formerly found only in fancy cocktail lounges and boutique hotels, textured panels are slowly finding their way into the home as cool, unique, and jaw-droppingly amazing wall coverings for kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms.

This lovely textured panel is from Soelberg and is called Piastra. Piastra comes in planks (Soelberg terms them slats) ranging from 4″ x 12″ all the way up to 6″ x 36″.

The pictured panels are created from MDF and they mimic beechwood. But why not just use real wood?

Wood is an option. But it’s not without its faults, either. Even in interior applications, wood will eventually fade and require re-staining and re-sealing; Soelberg panels’ finishes will last indefinitely.

How can you not exclaim! the wonderfulness! of these panels! at every turn?

Shown here is the Caryota style of textured wall panel from WallArt 3D. The caryotais a type of fishtail palm, so named because the leaves resemble the tail of

In Beachwood Canyon, a community in the Hollywood Hills of California, sits a classic California bungalow. The home has great bones featuring exposed wood beams, arched doorways and a fireplace that’s original to the home. It’s these details that Karen and Guy Vidal of Design Vidal got to work with when they took on this design project.

With their love of culture and pattern shining through, Design Vidal featured an eclectic mix of elements from around the globe in the home’s design. A metallic Moroccan side table; beaded African pillows on the sofa; a colorful kilim to brighten the living room floor. Mixed in with contemporary furnishings, the cultural elements fit seamlessly.

Above the fireplace, sits an array of colorful pieces that add to the room’s vibrant color palette. A collection of vases in yellow, green and blown glass create an artful display. The finishing touch – a colorful little painting displayed against the white stucco.

The credenza is the ultimate statement piece in this home’s hallway. Turned wood legs of the table offer a unique detail. Topped with more collected pieces, including vases and the homeowners’ favorite design books. The color palette of the vignette is captured in the painting

A focus on bespoke, vibrant homes, interior designer Kari McIntosh takes us inside her latest project – a modern family home in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. The project had a tight deadline as the family of soon-to-be three needed a designer who could help them complete their newly renovated home just two months before their first child was about to be born. Under a strict deadline, McIntosh was able to design a home that’s warm, colorful and perfect for a young family with a newborn on the way.

“I worked quickly to curate a fashion-forward and family-friendly home fit for a young family that loves wine, sports, and entertaining.” McIntosh started with a blue and green color palette in the living room. A choice of furnishings and art lends to the rich palette that’s warm and cozy, perfect for a family that desires a stylish environment.

The colorful interior has a mix of modern elements as well. Perfect for a newly renovated home in the Bay. In the office, a lacquered white desk with chrome legs keeps things contemporary. A structured desk chair is the perfect complement.

The way we decorate says a lot about our personalities. When people walk into our homes they often get a pretty good sense of who we are. And perhaps no single item says more about us than the sofa. Not only is it a decorative item, but the sofa style speaks quite a bit to how we use our spaces.

Different sofa styles suit different decorating styles, and oftentimes the style of sofa chosen is related to a room’s overall decor style. Yet still, the sofa style we choose says quite a bit about who we are. Whether it’s a traditional roll arm sofa, an antique settee, or a large chesterfield, a lot can be gleaned from the sofa you choose for your home.

If you have an English roll arm sofa in your home chances are pretty good that you’re a fan of classic style, but you don’t like things to be too formal. This style (also often referred to as a Bridgewater style) has a casual but sophisticated vibe that encourages you to lean back and get comfortable – but you probably wear slacks as opposed to jeans while doing it. This version from Restoration Hardware is a perfect example of this classic

Farmhouse style is hotter than it’s ever been. With a nod to the past, but one foot firmly in the present, farmhouse style is one that speaks to all kinds of people. And despite it having certain common characteristics, it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all type of look. Check out these wildly different examples of farmhouse style living rooms.

While farmhouse style is often equated with the word ‘rustic’, this room by Jennifer Robbins Interiors proves that it doesn’t have to be the case. Comfortable furnishings, country-style light fixtures, and vertical shiplap give this open concept space a farmhouse feel without any overly rustic details.

Farmhouse style is very adaptable and can be combined easily with many other styles. In this farmhouse living room by Judith Balis Interiors there’s a strong connection to both traditional and transitional styles thanks to the Persian rug and modern sofas.

Farmhouse style has its roots in old country homes and stone cottages. This room by Kelly and Co. Design embraces all the old attributes such as exposed stone walls and wood ceilings and brings them into present day with clean lined furniture and